Jennison Associates LLC Lowers Stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. $MRSH

Jennison Associates LLC lowered its stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. (NYSE:MRSH) by 61.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 229,075 shares of the financial services provider’s stock after selling 370,938 shares during the quarter. Jennison Associates LLC’s holdings in Marsh & McLennan Companies were worth $42,498,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in MRSH. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new stake in shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Financial Life Planners bought a new stake in Marsh & McLennan Companies during the third quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, City Holding Co. purchased a new position in Marsh & McLennan Companies in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 87.99% of the company’s stock.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of MRSH opened at $166.38 on Friday. Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. has a twelve month low of $164.89 and a twelve month high of $235.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $80.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.80, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.65. The company has a current ratio of 1.11, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.28. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $173.42.

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE:MRSH) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $3.29 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.21 by $0.08. The business had revenue of $7.30 billion for the quarter. Marsh & McLennan Companies had a net margin of 14.26% and a return on equity of 31.87%. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s quarterly revenue was up 7.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc. will post 10.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Marsh & McLennan Companies Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 15th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 9th will be paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.2%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 9th. Marsh & McLennan Companies’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 45.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO John Q. Doyle sold 16,655 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $183.30, for a total value of $3,052,861.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 116,811 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $21,411,456.30. This trade represents a 12.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.38% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on MRSH shares. Royal Bank Of Canada restated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $200.00 price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research note on Friday, January 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $226.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 9th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $195.00 to $190.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies in a research report on Monday. Finally, Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Marsh & McLennan Companies from $209.00 to $206.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 8th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, five have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Marsh & McLennan Companies currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $205.33.

About Marsh & McLennan Companies

Marsh & McLennan Companies (NYSE: MMC) is a global professional services firm headquartered in New York City that provides advice and solutions in the areas of risk, strategy and people. Founded in 1905, the company has grown into a diversified group of businesses focused on insurance brokerage and risk management, reinsurance, human capital and investment consulting, and management consulting. Its long history and scale position it as a prominent adviser to corporations, governments and other institutions seeking to manage risk and optimize human and financial capital.

The firm operates through several well-known subsidiaries and business units that specialize in distinct services.